Cisco VP To Memo Leaker: Finding You Now 'My Hobby'

Jimmies Rustled by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:38 · Score: 5, Funny

This is why VPs are overpaid children

Re:Jimmies Rustled by 19thNervousBreakdown · 2012-11-08 11:20 · Score: 5, Interesting

So wait, the Internet Toughguy act isn't a cool grown-up thing to do?
You'd think a CIA super-spy would have some neat tracking tricks in a guaranteed-to-be-leaked memo, but a visual inspection of the code shows nada, and as for hidden Unicode characters: nope. It'd be interesting to get multiple copies of the memo from different places to compare, but there's nothing suspicious I can see there.
The thing about confidential information is, there's no such thing at all once you go beyond 10 people or so. More like 3-4 can, maybe, sometimes, keep a secret, but that's pushing it. 2 people knowing a thing is great, because if you didn't tell, you know who did, and 1 is the best of all. There's plenty of ways of getting the behavior you want out of people without being so vulgar as to actually tell them things. He's really got no one to blame but himself for both of the leaks. You think company loyalty exists these days? Hah! I'm sure you'd sell Cisco out in a heartbeat if you saw a profit in it, why do you think your employees, many of whom actually know what it's like to struggle, are any different? You'd think a black-ops specialist would know that, but, obviously, nope.
And the real tricky thing about threats is, you absolutely, positively, must carry them through, or your future threats will mean (less than) nothing. In fact, if you don't already have the proverbial gun to someone's head (preferably without them knowing it's there), it's best not to make the threat at all, although that does take some self-control, which I understand can be a rare commodity in upper-management, and maybe best saved for more important occasions. Although a credible threat can be absolutely terrifying, silence from someone who has a reason to hate you is a lot scarier than hollow chest-thumping. You'd think such an intimidating beast would know that, 20 years after working for the CIA. Time will tell, but I'm guessing that once again the answer will be a big fat nope.
Of course, I'm no 007, I learned all this playing a silly internet spaceships game and reading fantasy books. I imagine this spook knows what he's doing, and we're all dancing on the puppetmaster's strings.

--
<xml><I><am><so><damn>Web 2.0</damn></so></am></I></xml>
Re:Jimmies Rustled by queazocotal · 2012-11-08 11:22 · Score: 2

One is too many. Zero is the optimal number.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by noh8rz9 · 2012-11-08 11:34 · Score: 0

I assume he sent out a unique email to each staff person and substituted words in each message. Now he knows who forwarded the email. smart! thats why he's CIA.

--
let's have a conversation! let me know what you think.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by king+neckbeard · 2012-11-08 11:52 · Score: 2

I don't believe the CIA super-spy wrote the memo, so even if he has those tricks, it's probably not relevant here.

--
This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:55 · Score: 0, Funny

I clicked that link to networkworld and saw his pic. He not only looks like an overpaid child, but I can't look at him without wanting to go watch Better Off Dead.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 12:29 · Score: 0

Nope, Just another " used to be "
Re:Jimmies Rustled by ObsessiveMathsFreak · 2012-11-08 13:33 · Score: 3, Insightful

You will find that there are quite a lot of overpaid juveniles running major public companies these days. This is what happens when you promote employees for qualities other than actually doing their jobs well.

--
May the Maths Be with you!
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 13:58 · Score: 5, Insightful

I'm amused at the CIA guy going on about "family trust" .. the CIA makes its living off people who break trust, every day. Sometimes literally the trust of family. Unless Cisco is unlike many other corporations, there's no real trust, family or other wise. If corporations want to be free to fire people, they should expect that employees will happily sell the company out if the right offer comes along. Its the flip side of the mercenary behavior corporations engage in. If they would rather have some employee loyalty, then they need to earn it. And repay the loyalty of employees with loyalty TO employees. Loyalty is expensive. Sometimes in cash money terms, but quite frequently in forgone options.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 15:46 · Score: 0

"Hello HR?"
"Yes."
"I want to report a serious threat by a very senior officer of the company made against an employe..."
Oh sorry, forgot that damagement are immune to company policy, the law, and anything else that doesn't fit for the day.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by sumdumass · 2012-11-08 16:32 · Score: 1

He may have. They probably have something set up on the mail server scanning for a phrase in the outgoing mail to track who gets a copy of it other then who it was originally sent to. Sort of like a reverse spam filter/white list. The people behind the leaks will likely forward the email/memo to others thinking they won't get caught and he's got the identity of who he thinks might be behind it.
He doesn't even have to be sure. Just use this to narrow the search down or start looking for things to fire them over. If they are sending company secrets out, they will likely not be a model employee.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by HornWumpus · 2012-11-08 16:39 · Score: 2

Because nobody would cut and paste into a SSL connected web mail?
Anybody who would use the company email server to discuss anything but legit business is a moron. They should be fired for incompetence.
If you really wanted to catch them you would plant a company specific service that watched the clipboard for verboten information.

--
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 19:02 · Score: 0

Yes, promoting mental illness creates companies that are actually loony-bins. But, don't worry, the VP claims to have been with the CIA, no... really, and he was good enough to leave the position and have his involvement in the CIA publicized. He was so good at secrecy, that everyone knows it. He deserves a metal for his heroics as a model American VP.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by sumdumass · 2012-11-08 20:02 · Score: 1

Moron? Maybe. The information needs to get out of the company somehow. It may not be possible to find the original leak, but if the email is out, they likely forwarded it to someone. I think the leaked email was a trick to get someone who thought they were getting away with something to do something noticeable like leaking the email. Why else announce he's watching in such a way to make him appear paranoid and asshol'ish if not to provoke someone.
As for the company specific service, it might already be there if they monitor their employees. also, If they printed the documents and walked out with them as hard copies, most large printers have copies of what was printed with information to what desktop printed them. Pulling that and grepping them with some creative regex expressions might turn some interesting thing up. And being the VP, he can get outside help as well as devoting a significant amount of time and resources to it....
Some of these things might not even cross someone's mind.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 20:15 · Score: 0

Also, if the employee is current employee, then the threat actually falls squarely under workfloor bullying, and is an offense in itself.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Sepodati · 2012-11-08 20:35 · Score: 1

Is there an automated program that does that? That'd be pretty sweet...
Re:Jimmies Rustled by sFurbo · 2012-11-08 20:40 · Score: 1

Why else announce he's watching in such a way to make him appear paranoid and asshol'ish if not to provoke someone
By applying Hanlon's razor, it could be because he is a paranoid asshole who is incompetent about HR.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by sumdumass · 2012-11-08 21:55 · Score: 4, Informative

I think ex-cia makes Hanlon's razor improbable. They are masters at getting you to help them without you knowing it. Sometimes they let you know.
During WWII, we did similar stunts to help identify and break the Japanese codes. We would send non-coded messages from base to base and have fighter squadrons on patrol talk about things at certain bases or islands on different days as they patrolled the area. The cross talk between planes would be picked up by the japs listening and then we would listen to their coded radio messages reporting this information to find words in common with what was said. After a few strategically altered messages, we had a good idea of code words for certain islands, positions, and other things that aided in breaking the codes as well as protecting implied targets when they communicated about them. Hanlon's razor would simply suggest our fly boys were loose with details ignorant of the enemy listening. But it was much more complicated then that.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by MinistryOfTruthiness · 2012-11-08 22:56 · Score: 5, Funny

One is too many. Zero is the optimal number.
Managers in my company have this mastered. Nobody knows anything.

--
"I know that every word that man just said is true, because it's EXACTLY what I wanted to hear." -- Space Ghost
Re:Jimmies Rustled by artfulshrapnel · 2012-11-09 02:16 · Score: 1

Doesn't even necessarily come from that. Even when you promote people for being AWESOME at their jobs, who's to say that your badass Developer will make a good Lead Developer, or that even if he excels as a Lead Developer he will be good at being VP of Development? Those roles, while all in the same chain of promotion, require entirely different skillsets and capabilities.
If you've ever heard the Peter Principle: "Every employee, in recognition for their excellence, will be promoted to their position of maximum incompetence."
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 02:47 · Score: 0

You're ignoring a statistically valid option.
He knows all of these things, but he's putting on a show. Why? Because he thinks his bosses don't know these things, and because he's the leak.
Everything he said there was perfectly executed chest-thumping in a situation that demands none. And the lack of any leak-tracking in the email shows that he's not really looking for a leak. He did it himself and is covering his tracks.
Consider him called-out.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Larry_Dillon · 2012-11-09 03:42 · Score: 1

There are ways to make small changes to the document and give different people different version of the document, thus tracking the leaker.

--
Competition Good, Monopoly Bad.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Lithdren · 2012-11-09 04:07 · Score: 1

Do you have a source for the story? Its not that I dont believe you, I just really would be interested in more info on it!
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Muad'Dave · 2012-11-09 04:19 · Score: 1

I don't know if it was factual or not, but such a ruse was depicted in the movie Midway - they mentioned in the clear that the water plant was not operational on Midway. The Japanese used their secret designation 'AF' for Midway when they reported the outage, proving that 'AF' was Midway. Here's a better description that's likely factual - see the "Critical Intelligence" section.

--
Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by HornWumpus · 2012-11-09 08:56 · Score: 1

I say again, if you are using the company email server for anything you don't want them to know about you are a moron.
WTF is wrong with Gmail? Yahoo? (don't answer that) Hotmail? (don't answer that ether)
The easy way to catch someone forwarding in a 'smart' way is to watch the clipboard. Granting you should also watch the file system.

--
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Re:Jimmies Rustled by sumdumass · 2012-11-09 11:41 · Score: 1

They probably monitor those too. And yes, I agreed that they are morons.
In most of the corporate environments I admin, we block Gmail, yahoo mail, GMX, AOL, and hot mail. Pretty much every mail service we can find is blocked at the router with a redirect to the corporate policy..But using those services doesn't stop anything from inspecting the packets for information. Only the log ins seem to be secure.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 15:49 · Score: 0

>> go beyond 10 people or so. More like 3-4 can, maybe, sometimes, keep a secret
The roughly 130,000 people working on the Manhattan project would disagree.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by swalve · 2012-11-09 18:36 · Score: 1

They depend on the family relationship, internally and externally. Externally, to exploit. Internally, to trust.
Re:Jimmies Rustled by Dyolf+Knip · 2012-11-10 16:15 · Score: 1

That's just what he _wants_ you to think!

--
Dyolf Knip
Re:Jimmies Rustled by DirtyLiar · 2012-11-11 16:35 · Score: 1

You'd think a CIA super-spy would have some neat tracking tricks in a guaranteed-to-be-leaked memo, but a visual inspection of the code shows nada, and as for hidden Unicode characters: nope.
Being ex-CIA doesn't make you a computer nerd. And being IN intelligence, apparently, does not guarantee any actual intelligence. (I mean, is this an example of the kind of slick intelligence work that won us the cold war? I mean, geeze! Who mass emails something he wants kept secret? It's really a no-brainer. Pun intended.)
It just means that you're an ex-spy... ...who, admittedly, should be able to get his hands on a top-notch electronic forensic expert. (That's VP territory too, so no excuses if he doesn't.)
I mean, all the WhistleBlower has to do is resist the urge to leak any other emails, and hope that the blogger was intelligent enough to destroy all traces of the original email he received, specifically it's headers. (I would not recommend making any additional contact with the blogger, seeing how basically any system can be penetrated by an intelligent enough, persistent enough, talented enough, and informed enough group people.)
My advice to the whistleblower is: Stay pat. Hopefully you've already cleaned up any tracks you may have laid. Don't change your routine, if you have any frowned-upon, but not fire-worthy things that you do, keep doing them. A small guilt may do well at diverting attention from a larger one. Most importantly, don't appear scared or nervous. The name of this game is to play it cool. Don't accuse anyone else, or try to appear too squeaky-clean, both can actually make you look suspicious. Quit if you really want to, but know that will peg you as the whistleblower. And whistleblowing is NOT a sought-after skill in this (or any) job market, and count-on every potential employer on finding out about the whistleblowing. Even alleged whistlebowing will kill your career because they won't take that chance.
My advice to the blogger is: If you care about your source at all, delete every trace of the original email that contains a copy of it's headers. Forward it to yourself, after removing all identifying information. Then, after you've deleted it, if you use Outlook, compress your PST file. Your IT department will know how to do it. That will guarantee that the original email gets overwritten. Then buy or download a program like Eraser, that can do a military grade wipe of the free space on your hard-drive. Lastly, shrink your swap-file as small as you can make it, and wipe the drive again. Paranoid? Geh-Yah! Overkill? Possibly. Necessary? Well, how would you feel if he came under retaliation like being sued into the poor house, never getting another non-food-service job again, or even criminal prosecution? And MORE importantly, how would your fans feel about it? I mean, this guy Quinn may look and sound like a joke, but many a LOL-worthy individual does take themselves very seriously (just another part of their LOL-worthyness), and can become no joke to deal with. ESPECIALLY when people are laughing at them.
My advice to Mr. Quinn (who, BTW, looks extra-scary in his chubby-cheeked photo in TFA), would be to implement some illegal program, let the workers get used to it, and then send out what looks like a mass, company wide, email that not just implicates himself, but actually lay's out the instrumental role he himself played in it's conception, planning, and implementation. That seems to me to be something the whistle-blower just couldn't resist. But instead of sending ONE email to the entire company, use Outlook's (you DO use Outlook, don't you?) programmability to send ONE email to each individual employee, whilst placing an extra period (or some other character) in a different spot in each email, allowing anyone who reads the email, and has the key, to identify it's intended recipient.
If you've provided a juicy enough bait he'll fall right into your trap, and leak it again! Guaranteed!

--
THINK! It's patriotic

Better hobbies. by Xenx · 2012-11-08 10:38 · Score: 2

I can definitely think of some better hobbies..

Re:Better hobbies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:52 · Score: 0

I had been playing Everquest for over a decade and quit playing because it became too much of a job. To fill the time I did DSL tech support part time, it was definitely more entertaining than EQ was at the time.
Re:Better hobbies. by White+Flame · 2012-11-08 13:10 · Score: 2

Yeah, like not being in the mafia. Tell me that's not what this guy sounds like. I think this is revealing of pretty well-known ideas of what the CIA thinks like.
Re:Better hobbies. by Dahamma · 2012-11-08 13:25 · Score: 4, Funny

Based on his picture eating is a big hobby for him, and he takes it very seriously.
Re:Better hobbies. by Dahamma · 2012-11-08 16:28 · Score: 4, Insightful

"But what I do have is a very particular set of silverware; silverware I have acquired over a very long meal. Silverware that makes me drool over people like you. If you tell me who you are now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will eat you."
Re:Better hobbies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-10 03:33 · Score: 0

Comment could not get any better than this. Amazing.

Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:39 · Score: 5, Insightful

The email is a dead giveaway that they dont have shit on the person who leaked it. If I were the person that leaked it, I would be rejoicing right now.

Re:Dead giveaway by Midnight_Falcon · 2012-11-08 10:43 · Score: 5, Insightful

The AC is right..he sent out this e-mail, and now is waiting for the potentially paranoid person to start making mistakes, acting nervous, or otherwise creating suspicion on themselves by trying to move suspicion away from themselves.
He also sent out the email to discourage any other Cisco employees from potentially engaging in leaking as well. Or, to stop the current leaker from leaking by injecting paranoia.
Had they any leads or information, this step would not have been necessary. The other employees would have been discouraged from leaking by the fact the leaker was busted, exposed, and their career ruined.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:44 · Score: 0

The email is a dead giveaway that they dont have shit on the person who leaked it. If I were the person that leaked it, I would be rejoicing right now.
And if I DID have something on the person who leaked it, I'd go for the double-bluff just to piss off the super-savvy who think they know everything.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:47 · Score: 0

The email is a dead giveaway that they dont have shit on the person who leaked it. If I were the person that leaked it, I would be rejoicing right now.
and more than likely, it is installed permenantly in the systems using an hijack id .. it would be really funny if it was done using the VP's credentials :-)
Re:Dead giveaway by TooMuchToDo · 2012-11-08 10:52 · Score: 5, Funny

Looks like someone is going to be on double secret probation.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:55 · Score: 1

The second email is a trap, each email sent to employees had a slightly different spelling.
Re:Dead giveaway by Antipater · 2012-11-08 10:56 · Score: 5, Funny

The email is a dead giveaway that they dont have shit on the person who leaked it. If I were the person that leaked it, I would be rejoicing right now.
But you would have guessed that that would be my reaction - you would have counted on it! So I can CLEARLY not choose the wine in front of me!

--
Everything is better with chainsaws.
Re:Dead giveaway by Jeng · 2012-11-08 10:56 · Score: 2, Insightful

True he might not have anything on him at the time that he sent the email, but he may have something now.
If fat face is smart he sent a slightly different email to each department to narrow down his list of suspects.

--
Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:01 · Score: 0

Only works if person who leaked first email is the same person who leaked the second email.
Re:Dead giveaway by Chris+Mattern · 2012-11-08 11:01 · Score: 5, Funny

Little do you know that the Cisco VP has spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocaine powder.
Re:Dead giveaway by 0101000001001010 · 2012-11-08 11:02 · Score: 1

True he might not have anything on him at the time that he sent the email, but he may have something now.
If fat face is smart he sent a slightly different email to each department to narrow down his list of suspects.
I would hope the leaker would be smart enough not to leak this email. Presumably it was leaked somewhere else since it was sent to a large number of employees.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:02 · Score: 0

Obviously you don't have children.
Re:Dead giveaway by Synerg1y · 2012-11-08 11:03 · Score: 0

Lol, wish I had mod points left for this, x-CIA people tend to be unpleasant to deal with typically... Oh well, maybe one day they'll teach them that American citizens aren't Ruskies, or Al Queda.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:03 · Score: 1

Pfft, every email sent by senior management is a trap. Usually it's read it -> lose sanity.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:08 · Score: 0

Easily fixed, just run spellcheck before forwarding.
Re:Dead giveaway by danceswithtrees · 2012-11-08 11:08 · Score: 2

Doesn't quite fit the meme but here goes:
1. Would send out a slightly different version of the letter (misspell a word, transpose words, different punctuation, white space, etc) to each person disguised as a mass/group email.
2. Find out which version is leaked and trace back to the individual.
3. Profit!
Re:Dead giveaway by GSloop · 2012-11-08 11:11 · Score: 1

Inconceivable!
Re:Dead giveaway by dougmc · 2012-11-08 11:15 · Score: 4, Interesting

1. Write software to do steps #1 and #2 automatically
2. Sell said software.
3. Profit!
I actually suggested this to my employer a decade ago when they had a similar problem with a leaked memo, and they said "thanks" but never followed up on it. I haven't gone looking, but I'll bet there's software out there that does it already.
Re:Dead giveaway by Mephistophocles · 2012-11-08 11:15 · Score: 2

Better, change the spelling of 5 or 6 random words (not correctly), and/or remove/add some punctuation. Always a good habit to do that when you're in a whistle-blowing position, even if you think your anonymity is bulletproof.

--
Deja Moo: The distinct feeling that you've heard this bull before.
Re:Dead giveaway by Mephistophocles · 2012-11-08 11:16 · Score: 1

Doesn't matter; either way that's a lead - and, I'll bet, more than he has now.

--
Deja Moo: The distinct feeling that you've heard this bull before.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:17 · Score: 1

> The email is a dead giveaway that they dont have shit on the person who leaked it. If I were the person that leaked it, I would be rejoicing right now.
Or he sent out different copies of the email, knowing it'd get leaked, to compartmentalize where in the hierarchy the leak occurred.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:18 · Score: 0

And I bet it will go on to his permanent record.
Re:Dead giveaway by greg1104 · 2012-11-08 11:19 · Score: 1

Cisco has unwisely been fighting a land war in Asia too.
Re:Dead giveaway by Firehed · 2012-11-08 11:22 · Score: 2

Or just ask a bunch of random coworkers to forward it to you, citing that you missed/deleted the original and want to make sure you have a copy. Tweak based on the variances you discover.

--
How are sites slashdotted when nobody reads TFAs?
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:26 · Score: 0

Unfortunately that was done by upping the BMI with jelly donuts. ;)
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:32 · Score: 0

They could be using the e-mail to trick the leaker into revealing themselves. Sure he looks dumba and the e-mail sounds like a bad idea, but that might be part of the plan to put the person off guard. He might have done it to trick him into revealing himself by sending out different versions of the e-mail to different people in the company. So he has by now at least narrowed it down.
If he really worked for the CIA then he had to have done something smart like this right? I mean this is the sort of stuff commonly seen in books so I hope he thought of it and didn't just do it because he was ranting. Otherwise, maybe I should work for the CIA. Wait nvm, that's lame.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:41 · Score: 1

But if your 5 or 6 random changes don't fix the trap word, you're still BUSTED.
Re:Dead giveaway by bmo · 2012-11-08 11:57 · Score: 4, Funny

>Or just ask a bunch of random coworkers to forward it to you
No no, you're not thinking devious enough. Don't ask a random employee.
Ask the coworker you like the least. Leak that one.
Deny everything.
Taa daa.
--
BMO
Re:Dead giveaway by Em+Adespoton · 2012-11-08 12:06 · Score: 5, Funny

Cisco has unwisely been fighting a land war in Asia too.
That's LAN war....
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 12:39 · Score: 0

I can't believe I threw up in front of Dean Wormer! --Vir Cotto
Face it Flounder, you threw up *on* Dean Wormer! --Sam Posner
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 12:44 · Score: 0

They do that, but they use synonyms.
Re:Dead giveaway by DoofusOfDeath · 2012-11-08 12:46 · Score: 2

Little do you know that the Cisco VP has spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocaine powder.
I do not think "Cisco" means what...
Wait, that can't be right.
Re:Dead giveaway by SmlFreshwaterBuffalo · 2012-11-08 12:50 · Score: 4, Funny

Hello. My name is Mike Quinn. You leaked my memo. Prepare to die.
Re:Dead giveaway by dave562 · 2012-11-08 12:58 · Score: 1

Hey, I saw that in Miami Vice!
Re:Dead giveaway by saleenS281 · 2012-11-08 13:38 · Score: 1

Cisco employs almost 70k people. If the memo went out to even 10% of their workforce - good luck.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 13:50 · Score: 0

If he really worked for the CIA then he had to have done something smart like this right? I mean this is the sort of stuff commonly seen in books so I hope he thought of it and didn't just do it because he was ranting. Otherwise, maybe I should work for the CIA. Wait nvm, that's lame.
Since the VP identified himself as ex-CIA, is there such a thing, the employee has every reason to plot to kill the VP by blowing up his automobile in the parking lot. The smell of death in the air is the perfect ending to another gruelling, thankless, day in the cubicle farm. I'd just trap LardBoy to a dental chair and force-feed him doughnuts like in the Simpson's episode when Homer went to Hell.
Re:Dead giveaway by PIBM · 2012-11-08 15:14 · Score: 1

If I was to send a follow up email, I would have added some kind of watermarks and grouped it expecting the follow up to be leaked too thus reducing the targets by a wide margin..
Re:Dead giveaway by MikeBabcock · 2012-11-08 15:46 · Score: 1

Most people don't think to modify what they send out because they think the "authentic" version is more important. Suckers.

--
- Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)
Re:Dead giveaway by RazorSharp · 2012-11-08 15:48 · Score: 1

If fat face is smart he sent a slightly different email to each department to narrow down his list of suspects.
The problem with that strategy is that it requires the threatening memo to be leaked and that does more harm to Quinn/Cisco than the leaker. I don't see how Cisco can hold onto that guy for much longer now that this has gone public.
I'm not entirely sure what type of legal protections whistleblowers have, but even if there aren't potential legal consequences for threatening the whistleblower it's an ethical quandary. Quinn's childish threats reflect poorly on Cisco in the eyes of both customers and potential employees. If the company doesn't sack the guy then it will look like they endorse his unethical conduct, which would suggest they also have no qualms about ripping off their customers, which was the issue that started this mess.

--
"From the depths of my skeptical and rationalist soul, I ask the Lord to protect me from California touchie-feeliedom."
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 16:00 · Score: 1

No. No. You're doing it _all_ wrong. You need to sneak into that coworker's office, and send the email to the blogger from their account, so there is a record on the server... But you need to be wearing gloves when you do it so your fingerprints don't appear on their computer, and you need to delay send it so that if there is a record of you being in their office, it doesn't correlate with the time the email was sent, and you could claim that you just went to make sure they had locked their computer... because you were looking out for their lack of corporate compliance because someone had to do it given their bad attitude.
See. You need to be more deviant. This is _Cisco_ we're talking about. See, I'm using a public WiFi. Time to change my mac address after posting. :-P
Re:Dead giveaway by Paradise+Pete · 2012-11-08 16:52 · Score: 0

x-CIA people tend to be unpleasant to deal with typically...
How many do you know? I don't know any, or at least f I do they don't tell me. I do know some unpleasant people. Maybe I should ask them if they're ex-CIA.
Re:Dead giveaway by sumdumass · 2012-11-08 17:20 · Score: 1

Start making mistakes like leaking the email? If they require all their employee email to go through their servers, they can track who forwards it in much the same way as spam filters can scan an email message for spam keywords except they would apply it to outgoing email. This might not catch employees who work from home and use their home's ISP server, but it's likely they use imap for remote email so scanning their outboxes on the server can do much the same.
I've done this for contract information in the past and actually caught someone getting paid commission for sales leads to a competitor who used existing contracts to undercut and swing clients away. This was several years ago manipulating it on the server itself. But Cisco has router boxes that can scan the crap on the fly- as it is being routed, and apply rules to it and take some actions on it. They could likely do it on the switching level as it passes though.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 17:33 · Score: 0

>The other employees would have been discouraged from leaking by the fact the leaker was busted, exposed, and their career ruined.
And had to retire on the ten million dollar settlement he would then receive as the VP discovered why companies will no longer provide any reference about a person besides 'yes he worked here from x-y.'
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 18:21 · Score: 1

Fortunately the leaker was a *Unix Admin* so he simply run the "diff" command on the memo emails and found out about the ruse.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 18:48 · Score: 0

Like the saying goes, do not fear the dog that barks.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 18:56 · Score: 0

If I was him, I would send such an email to may top suspects only, and see if one of them leaks this as well, to confirm my suspicion.
Re:Dead giveaway by Yvanhoe · 2012-11-08 19:25 · Score: 1

If your memo has 100 spaces in it, and that you choose to double 3 of them, you have 100x99x98 different combinations. Far enough. I'll automate that for you in 1 hour for 2 BTC.

--
The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 19:34 · Score: 2, Insightful

It is entirely possible to cut the mail content and paste it somewhere (usb key if they have access, non-company encrypted mail service, ...).
The leaker did not had to send it through company mail.
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 20:41 · Score: 0

I still can't figure out how to write a post without manually shoving my username into the body. Everyone else has this down pat, but I'm too fucking stupid to "get" it.
--
BMO
Re:Dead giveaway by eulernet · 2012-11-08 21:15 · Score: 1

Nice analysis of the situation !
However, there is a disastrous side-effect: injecting paranoia will contaminate everybody !
The problem is that using menaces creates a terrible feeling in the team.
Everybody will feel that he could be the next target, for any futile motive.
If I was working for Cisco, I would search another job right now, because if the VP is not fired, no teamwork will be possible anymore.
Re:Dead giveaway by r33per · 2012-11-08 22:11 · Score: 2

Leaker: Why won't my arms move?
VP: You've been mostly-dead all day.
Re:Dead giveaway by cbiltcliffe · 2012-11-08 23:26 · Score: 2

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

--
"City hall" in German is "Rathaus" Kinda explains a few things......
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 02:05 · Score: 0

like in the Simpson's episode when Homer went to Hell.
Bad example. Didn't the devil fail because of Homer's insatiable appetite?
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 03:12 · Score: 0

Cisco the Kid, is that you?
Re:Dead giveaway by Synerg1y · 2012-11-09 04:34 · Score: 1

Two claimers, & uhh... maybe you should? You wouldn't look any less retarded than you already are :)
Re:Dead giveaway by clm1970 · 2012-11-09 05:28 · Score: 1

Looks like someone is going to be on double secret probation.
Whatever that is.
Re:Dead giveaway by TooMuchToDo · 2012-11-09 06:05 · Score: 1

Whoosh. I apparently have dated myself.
https://www.google.com/search?q=double+secret+probation
Re:Dead giveaway by GameboyRMH · 2012-11-09 07:55 · Score: 1

I was just thinking that if I was the leaker I would not leak anything until I was sure the message wasn't uniquely modified in any way.

--
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Re:Dead giveaway by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 08:22 · Score: 0

This is called a canary trap, and its effectiveness decreases drastically with each additional recipient. Think about it - if you have 5 people, it's easy to transpose 2 words in each letter with synonyms to see who is leaking it, but if you have 70000 people, you now have to have 70000 slightly different letters to uniquely identify a single leaker. Furthermore, for each additional recipient, there is a higher chance of differences being discovered, so if a leaker has a copy to at least one other person, they can dramatically modify it by adding their own synonyms and replacing the ones they know are different in their letter before leaking it to the press to completely throw off the seeker.
Now, you can reduce the number of combinations by giving different departments different letters, but that only means you know which department that leaker is in, and this is easily foiled if you have multiple leakers.
For large organizations, I don't think canary traps are very effective, although they are fun to think about.
Re:Dead giveaway by nanoflower · 2012-11-09 13:30 · Score: 1

And you need to wear a mask or hood so that no one can see your face. After this is Cisco so they must have hidden cameras all over the building.
Re:Dead giveaway by PIBM · 2012-11-11 08:44 · Score: 1

That's also why I was saying grouped; this way, people that you expect would / could validate if the email was modified will not detect any watermark as they received exactly the same mail, and that's also why I was refering to reducing the problem (divide and conqueer, and not a direct link to the solution)
Re:Dead giveaway by DirtyLiar · 2012-11-11 16:48 · Score: 1

Which, of course, is exactly why he'll turn up in a ditch somewhere, with CAT-5 shoved down his throat.

--
THINK! It's patriotic
Re:Dead giveaway by DirtyLiar · 2012-11-11 16:49 · Score: 1

because the lack of evidence was a dead giveaway

--
THINK! It's patriotic

dude thinks hes liam neeson? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:40 · Score: 1, Funny

cool

Re:dude thinks hes liam neeson? by A+bsd+fool · 2012-11-08 10:48 · Score: 2

Click link. See photo. Conclude guy is decidedly NOT Liam, and his hobbies are probably... illegal in most states.
Re:dude thinks hes liam neeson? by booyoh · 2012-11-08 10:50 · Score: 2

LOL! My thoughts exactly! Here is the quote for those unfamiliar with the movie Taken: "I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you."
Re:dude thinks hes liam neeson? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:53 · Score: 0

Replace: "If you let my daughter go" with "If you resign" and "kill" with "fire"
Re:dude thinks hes liam neeson? by SternisheFan · 2012-11-08 10:56 · Score: 1

Either Liam Neeson or The Terminator.
"He 'will' find you!! That's ALL he does!!!"
Re:dude thinks hes liam neeson? by A+bsd+fool · 2012-11-08 11:02 · Score: 1

He's Jack Byrnes, at best. From the looks of it, he can feed the baby just fine without the discomfort of having to buy and explain the *fake* tits.
Re:dude thinks hes liam neeson? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:04 · Score: 1

"He 'will' find you!! That's ALL he does!!!"
- And then?
What then?
- What's he gonna do when he's found me?
Nothing. He 'will' find you! That's ALL he does!
- Ah, OK, stupid machines...
Re:dude thinks hes liam neeson? by DirtyLiar · 2012-11-11 17:00 · Score: 1

What'd you say? Gotta catch 'em all?

--
THINK! It's patriotic

Awesome. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:40 · Score: 0

Popcorn obtained. This will be good.

Corporate treason by GeneralTurgidson · 2012-11-08 10:40 · Score: 2

I thought IronPort has a pre canned filter for "leaking memos". I could never fine tune that product though, apparently Cisco can't either.

Re:Corporate treason by mounthood · 2012-11-08 11:41 · Score: 3, Interesting

From (emp mine) http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/vpndevc/ps10128/ps10154/dlp_overview.html

Data loss prevention (DLP) poses a serious issue for companies, as the number of incidents and the cost to businesses continues to increase. Whether it is intentionally malicious or inadvertent, data loss can diminish a company's brand, reduce shareholder value, and damage the company's goodwill and reputation.

--
tomorrow who's gonna fuss
Re:Corporate treason by Larry_Dillon · 2012-11-09 04:24 · Score: 2

Ever notice that companies that do right and deal honestly have little to fear and companies that are secretive and deceptive have much to fear?

--
Competition Good, Monopoly Bad.

Not impressed. by Animats · 2012-11-08 10:41 · Score: 5, Insightful

If this guy had really been a good CIA ops officer, he would have said nothing until he knew who the leaker was.

Re:Not impressed. by burni2 · 2012-11-08 10:46 · Score: 2

Yep,
also a totally transparent tactic to possibly lure the leaker out or scare the hell out of him, that his "Angst" sweat and actions will expose him.
@Leaker
- you are safe
- go with the rest, follow the swarm,
- shut up (no second Manning case please)
- don't ask, don't tell what your hobbies are !
Re:Not impressed. by kenorland · 2012-11-08 10:56 · Score: 5, Funny

If he had been a good CIA ops, perhaps he'd still be working for the CIA.
Re:Not impressed. by CODiNE · 2012-11-08 10:59 · Score: 1

And he would have subtly tweaked the message for each employee to find out who leaks the new one.

--
Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz
Re:Not impressed. by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2012-11-08 11:01 · Score: 2

And he would have subtly tweaked the message for each employee to find out who leaks the new one.
Probably someone who doesn't read Tom Clancy?

--
Ezekiel 23:20
Re:Not impressed. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:22 · Score: 0

Yeah, he kind of sounds like some sort of impotent asshole. And keep on sending exciting emails which are going to get immediately leaked for my amusement.
Re:Not impressed. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:34 · Score: 0

If you are "good" at shooting people and you are infantry for the army, should you just do that until you retire, die of old age, or get killed?
At some point one might choose a simpler life to raise their progeny and be close to their mate.
Re:Not impressed. by DriveDog · 2012-11-08 11:35 · Score: 2

20 years ago? Hmmm... perhaps one of the people Bob Baer complained about...
Re:Not impressed. by Archangel+Michael · 2012-11-08 11:36 · Score: 3, Funny

@EveryCiscoEmployee
-fess up, all of you, all at once
-act nervous and sweat, he's coming for you next
-speak out, because you're not safe anyway
-do tell all your hobbies, especially the cool ones.
Too much noise in the signal is even better for hiding. And it might actually get the VP fired.

--
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
Re:Not impressed. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 13:03 · Score: 0

If he had been a good CIA ops, perhaps he'd still be working for the CIA.
Maybe he still
,..-q032!)(@34
NO CARRIER
Re:Not impressed. by MikeBabcock · 2012-11-08 15:47 · Score: 1

Problem is probably more that he expects the same level of personal discipline and secrecy at Cisco as was the norm at the CIA.

--
- Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)
Re:Not impressed. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 17:22 · Score: 0

"personal discipline and secrecy..." The "norm"???? Maybe for -some- of the field officers, not the fat sloppy nest-feathering admin bureaucrats.
Re:Not impressed. by gl4ss · 2012-11-08 19:35 · Score: 1

he's a shitty officer so he got the CIA position of cisco vp. it's a CIA position, running coke isn't as profitable as it used to be so they have to do other scams.

--
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Re:Not impressed. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 00:36 · Score: 0

A good CIA ops officer would still be working in the CIA.
Re:Not impressed. by tgd · 2012-11-09 01:18 · Score: 1

If this guy had really been a good CIA ops officer, he would have said nothing until he knew who the leaker was.
Maybe he's already had the leaker rendit..um..reditted? What the hell is the past participle of rendition? Rendered?
Anyway, maybe the dude is already strung up in some 3rd world data center, and this is just a distraction to keep people from thinking he's been found!
Re:Not impressed. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 06:20 · Score: 0

You never stop working for the CIA.

Really? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:41 · Score: 5, Funny

I'd think his hobby would be more along the lines of "eating cake among other things."

Re:Really? by viperidaenz · 2012-11-08 10:44 · Score: 4, Funny

No, no. That looks like his full time job.
Re:Really? by dave562 · 2012-11-08 12:59 · Score: 2

It certainly is not, "Getting laid"
Re:Really? by DaRanged · 2012-11-09 02:26 · Score: 2

I will find you... and I will eat you.

Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco... by sconeu · 2012-11-08 10:42 · Score: 1

What's the worst this asshat can legally do to him?

--
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.

How about by geekoid · 2012-11-08 10:43 · Score: 5, Insightful

Cisco firing and downsizing whenever they see fit? how does that fit into your dumbass view of:

"committed corporate treason and violated a 'family' trust. "?

Also, look up treason.

--
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

Re:How about by YodasEvilTwin · 2012-11-08 10:51 · Score: 1

Look up "corporate". It may have been hyperbolic, but he contextualized the meaning appropriately.
Re:How about by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:56 · Score: 0

appropriately
I don't think that word means what you think it means, you language rapist.
Re:How about by s73v3r · 2012-11-08 11:34 · Score: 4, Insightful

Agreed. Anyone who tries to say that a company is like a "family" is an asshat trying to get free labor out of his subordinates.
Re:How about by russotto · 2012-11-08 11:47 · Score: 4, Funny

Agreed. Anyone who tries to say that a company is like a "family" is an asshat trying to get free labor out of his subordinates.
I don't think that's the kind of "family" he means. More like the sleeps-with-the-fishes kind of "family".
Re:How about by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 12:49 · Score: 1

"Son, I know you've been getting good grades and staying out of trouble, but times are really tight in the family industry and we're all having to make sacrifices. Look, there's no easy way to say this - we're letting you go. Please clean out your things and drop off your badge at the front desk, immediately. You'll receive your final allowance via mail."
Re:How about by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 14:07 · Score: 0

ROFLMAO
Re:How about by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 14:33 · Score: 0

Definition of TREASON
Merriam Webster
1: the betrayal of a trust
Webster Dictionary
2. Loosely, the betrayal of any trust or confidence; treachery; perfidy.
Oxford dictionary
the action of betraying someone or something:
The Free Dictionary
2. A betrayal of trust or confidence
Dictionary.com
3. the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.
Word use seems fine to me. Maybe you ought to invest in one.
Re:How about by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 15:54 · Score: 0

Yeah, turning 30 sucks.
Re:How about by HornWumpus · 2012-11-08 17:00 · Score: 1

Medical experiments for the lot of them.

--
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Re:How about by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 17:20 · Score: 1

When someone is screwing you, it is always treason and violation of 'family' trust. When you're screwing someone else, it is always a "regrettable course of action that must be taken so as not to violate fiduciary responsibility" and is "the result of unforeseen market conditions." Of course, we all know that you just shut down that small office to get rid of some guy you didn't like but who intimated his desire for a wrongful termination suit.
Re:How about by Rogerborg · 2012-11-08 21:08 · Score: 1

Indeed, any targeted retributions against the leaker should worry him or her less than the next round of random brightsizing. The tighter your grip...

--
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
Re:How about by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-11 17:14 · Score: 0

but who intimated his desire for a wrongful termination suit.
I'm afraid you mean "Could possibly win a wrongful termination suit".

Jimmies Rustled by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:44 · Score: 0

This just shows why VPs are overpaid children.

My hobby by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:44 · Score: 0

And my hobby is getting First Posts.

Re:My hobby by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:49 · Score: 1

Looks like you need to find a new hobby.

Cisco's VP's a gangster? Color me surprised. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:44 · Score: 0

Said no one. Ever.

W

Threat by Culture20 · 2012-11-08 10:44 · Score: 1

Coming from a CIA-man, that's less of a promise, and more of a threat.

Re:Threat by DirtyLiar · 2012-11-11 17:17 · Score: 1

Sounds like grounds for a "hostile work environment" lawsuit.
Class-Action?

--
THINK! It's patriotic

Memos by game+kid · 2012-11-08 10:45 · Score: 3, Funny

In an email sent to Cisco employees, the executive invites the anonymous leaker to come clean, concedes that's unlikely, and adds, 'so I will now make (finding) you my hobby. Ask around (and) you will find out that I like to work on my hobbies.

Quinn then underscored his point in a second less widely-distributed memo, in which he added, "I'm all out of gum." Roddy Piper did not immediately return our calls for comment.

--
You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.

Re:Memos by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:18 · Score: 0

In an email sent to Cisco employees, the executive invites the anonymous leaker to come clean, concedes that's unlikely, and adds, 'so I will now make (finding) you my hobby. Ask around (and) you will find out that I like to work on my hobbies.
Quinn then underscored his point in a second less widely-distributed memo, in which he added, "I'm all out of gum." Roddy Piper did not immediately return our calls for comment.
Put on the special glasses and you will see all of the leaked memos that "They" don't want you to see.
Re:Memos by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 23:21 · Score: 0

What does that mean "all out of gum"? Does this mean he has no further info on the person who leaked the e-mail? Who is Roddy Piper.

Where's wally? by FatLittleMonkey · 2012-11-08 10:45 · Score: 2

I doubt Mike Quinn could find his own penis.

--
Science is all about firing a drunk pig out of a cannon just to see what happens.

Re:Where's wally? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 13:23 · Score: 0

Relavent clip from a Cisco VP meeting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE46fADEs4k&feature=player_detailpage

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by viperidaenz · 2012-11-08 10:45 · Score: 1

Cry in a press release about it. Not name names either, as with out absolute proof that would open him up to defamation.

I'm going to make Mike Quinn my hobby by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:45 · Score: 0

OK, well... I thought I was having fun with building model trains and occasional skydiving...but I've decided to make Mike Quinn, Cisco VP my hobby.

I'm going to make some little Mike Quinn action figures and paint them. Then, I'm going to pose them in different ways together and take pictures of them and post them on Facebook.

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by yurtinus · 2012-11-08 10:46 · Score: 1

Legally? Probably fire him. Probably pursue some civil action for breach of contract (I'm sure there's something in there for proprietary information).

Of course, I am not a lawyer, but I like to pretend I'm on on Slashdot.

--
+1 Disagree

Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashes by WaffleMonster · 2012-11-08 10:46 · Score: 5, Insightful

Kind of creepy to hear of "ex" CIA officers in top Cisco positions... advertising this must do wonders for foreign (and domestic) sales...

And ah... continually beating wardrums about an issue which only *reminds* customers of cost issues with Cisco products and services is no winning proposition for Cisco either.

Fat Boy has James Bond Wet Dream by Jeremiah+Cornelius · 2012-11-08 10:47 · Score: 4, Funny

Film at 11.

--
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."

Re:Fat Boy has James Bond Wet Dream by DirtyLiar · 2012-11-11 16:41 · Score: 1

Film at 11.
*shudder*
Nooooo thanks!
I'd pay NOT to see that!

--
THINK! It's patriotic

I DID IT by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:48 · Score: 1

I DID IT. I AM SPARTICUS!

Time to reconsider my choice of router vendor by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:49 · Score: 0

Not much more to say on that.

Leaker Bitch Slaps NeckBeard VP by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:49 · Score: 0

Mr. Neckbeard got told when the leaker leaked his threatening email.

What now Mr. Neckbeard?

LOL

Quinn by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:49 · Score: 0

Certainly doesn't look very healthy.

Are you there Barbara, it's me, a Cisco VP by preaction · 2012-11-08 10:49 · Score: 2

I remembered nothing about this leaked memo, but now that someone's all angry about it, I'm going to go find out as much as possible. Thanks Cisco VP for helping me find some entertainment!

A very particular set of skills... by TimHunter · 2012-11-08 10:50 · Score: 5, Funny

"I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

Re:A very particular set of skills... by gbjbaanb · 2012-11-08 11:30 · Score: 3, Funny

yeah, but this guy is a manager at Cisco.. the skills he acquirted over his very long career involve licking his superior's ass, stuffing his face with dinner and charging to expenses, stabbing his colleagues in the back and generally not having a clue about anything other than his own ambition.
so in this case its more "I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. if you are looking for ransom,. I have lots and lots of money but I won't give any of it away. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a laughing stock for people like you. If you let my pride go now, that'll be the end of it. I will still look for you, I will still try to sack you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you - probably behind the photocopier which is where I found my set of postit notes - and I will tell you off, so there".
Re:A very particular set of skills... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 14:48 · Score: 0

Good luck, I'm behind seven proxies!
Re:A very particular set of skills... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 16:18 · Score: 0

"I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."
Good luck.
Re:A very particular set of skills... by Areyoukiddingme · 2012-11-08 21:20 · Score: 1

Second time this week that quote has been perfectly applicable. Who would have thought...
Re:A very particular set of skills... by L4t3r4lu5 · 2012-11-08 22:48 · Score: 1

I can tell you I don't have money.
LOL http://www.forbes.com/profile/larry-ellison/

--
Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
Re:A very particular set of skills... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 02:19 · Score: 0

yeah, but this guy is a manager at Cisco.. the skills he acquirted over his very long career involve licking his superior's ass, stuffing his face with dinner and charging to expenses, stabbing his colleagues in the back and generally not having a clue about anything other than his own ambition.
I see you have worked at Cisco as well.

lol by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:51 · Score: 0

what a fat fucking loser

CIA Operations Officer! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:51 · Score: 0

Yeah right! Still lives at home in his Mother's basement. Douche!

Re:CIA Operations Officer! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 08:06 · Score: 0

It's a COMMAND CENTER!

Violation of Contract vs. Free Speech by fleebait · 2012-11-08 10:53 · Score: 1

The Repression of free speech by governments is one thing, and I agree with it.

Violation of Contract, or agreement is quite another, and has nothing to do with free speech. If I were to speak publicly about the internal workings of my company, I would fully expect to get canned, or be civilly fined for violating a trust. I would expect no protection for something like this.

Many people seem to have no understanding of the difference.

Jim

Re:Violation of Contract vs. Free Speech by Nadaka · 2012-11-08 11:03 · Score: 4, Informative

If you were to expose criminal activity, either negligence or malicious you SHOULD expect protection.
Its called being a wistleblower, and its very important.
Re:Violation of Contract vs. Free Speech by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:04 · Score: 0

You agree with the repression of free speech by governments? What is the matter with you?!!
Re:Violation of Contract vs. Free Speech by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:07 · Score: 0

Many people are not one fire.

The Repression of free speech by governments is one thing, and I agree with it.
I don't agree with it. I think repression of free speech by governments is wrong.

Violation of Contract, or agreement is quite another, and has nothing to do with free speech. Many people seem to have no understanding of the difference.
I don't see a single person representing your strawman. Not in the article, summary or in any comments did anyone, other than you, mention free speech.

Useless move... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:54 · Score: 0

Here's another potential outcome of making a threat: now if he fails to find the culprit, everyone will know he's not really someone to be feared.

He better hope he's not in for a lesson.

Unless there's multiple copies by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:55 · Score: 0

It's all part of the plan.

Step 1. Create document with core searchable text and hundreds of subtle variations
Step 2. Release to different people tracking which person was sent which variation.
Step 3. Search web until you find leak via the core searchable text.
Step 4. Identify the leak (or at least know the first link in the source path).

I'd expect nothing less from ex-NSA, but then we'd never know would we?
Ex-CIA? I hope so.

What if the email is a trap? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:55 · Score: 0

If this VP were really clever, he would take his "rant" email and find 15-20 places to make small variations in it (capitalization/spelling/grammar mistakes). Then send out unique but almost indistinguishable variations to each employee. The one that ends up on the interweb finds you a leak in your org - it may not be the *original* leak, but there is a good chance...

American executives vs Europeans by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:55 · Score: 0

I thought long and hard about posting this question as I do not want it to become an anti-American circlejerk.

Can someone comment on the different executive culture between US and other first world countries like Germany, Canada, UK?

Based on my limited interaction, I feel that one finds more alpha male like characters in US than Canada and European. Non USian executives are more conscious of not behaving like dicks and I wonder if that is more tied to employee protection laws or if it is more of a cultural thing

Re:American executives vs Europeans by Jaysyn · 2012-11-08 12:01 · Score: 4, Insightful

Europe puts their sociopaths in hospitals. The USA puts them in boardrooms..

--
There is a war going on for your mind.
Re:American executives vs Europeans by Alex+Belits · 2012-11-08 14:39 · Score: 1

It's a cultural thing, going back to slavery.

--
Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
Re:American executives vs Europeans by sir-gold · 2012-11-08 17:10 · Score: 1

In most US corporations, people are promoted based on their ability to suck up to their boss, this mostly consists of things like taking credit for other people's work, and blaming others for their own mistakes.
This leads to the people at the top being very good at making themselves LOOK good, without having any real management skills.
I worked for a large pizza chain, and our district supervisor refused to allow us to stop (or even reduce) delivery during a major snowstorm. She claimed to be at one of the stores delivering pizza in the storm, and if she can do it, so can we.
We found out the next day that she was never at that store, and had actually been sitting at home during the entire storm. One store manager and several assistant managers quit because of this. The district supervisor kept her job of course (and as far as I know, she was never disciplined in any way, for lying to employees or putting drivers at risk)
Re:American executives vs Europeans by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 20:34 · Score: 0

Yes. Europe never brought its slaves back home.
Re:American executives vs Europeans by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 23:01 · Score: 0

Silvio Berlusconi.
Re:American executives vs Europeans by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 08:01 · Score: 0

Europe puts their sociopaths in hospitals. The USA puts them in boardrooms..
Actually, psychology studies show across the board that power corrupts, not that corrupt people are drawn to power.

Duh by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:59 · Score: 0

"Corporate Treason". Yeah, it only exists when it's done *to them*, right?

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 10:59 · Score: 1

Someone that high can do a lot of things:

1: Ensure that the person can no longer work in the industry.

2: Press criminal charges for unauthorized use of computer equipment with a felony-hard amount of data "destroyed". That in itself will ensure the leaker will never work in any industry again other than truck driving, or tattoo artistry. Someone that high at Cisco can snap their fingers, and the local DA *will* get arrest warrants out. They will, or next election year, they won't have work. Judges tend to rubber stamp what the DA alleges (or also find themselves out of work), so most likely the guy will be convicted and handed a big sentence as an example.

3: Cisco can withhold support or authorization that the leaker works at subsequently. No OS updates, no patches, no authorization, no added upgrades, until that company fires the leaker.

There are a ton of strings that can be pulled. May not be legal, but it is like claiming right of way as a pedestrian when in front of an 18 wheeler.

Good Luck by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:00 · Score: 0

Click.

Really a company-wide email? by mattbee · 2012-11-08 11:00 · Score: 4, Funny

...or did he send a very slightly differently punctuated/spaced email to every employee, just to see which version ended up leaked? I'm pretty sure that's what Bruce Schneier would do.

--
Matthew @ Bytemark Hosting

Re:Really a company-wide email? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:21 · Score: 0

I had that same thought. That is exactly what I would have done.
Re:Really a company-wide email? by n7ytd · 2012-11-08 11:27 · Score: 0

...or did he send a very slightly differently punctuated/spaced email to every employee, just to see which version ended up leaked? I'm pretty sure that's what Bruce Schneier would do.
That's exactly what I was thinking, except do it in a binary search: send another "confidential" e-mail each week, sending two different versions to different subsets of employees. Each week you eliminate half of your suspect list, and the tension mounts! What? He said it was a hobby...
Of course, Bruce Schneier would probably not recommend a mass e-mail of confidential, controversial data to a large group under the assumption that no one would spill the beans...
Re:Really a company-wide email? by DriveDog · 2012-11-08 11:50 · Score: 1

Or perhaps the leaker modified numerous inconsequential things before leaking it. Maybe the leaker is an email system admin and compared several versions of the trap. Maybe she used the version sent to the person responsible for the subject of the original leak. Wilderness of mirrors.
Re:Really a company-wide email? by Alex+Belits · 2012-11-08 14:40 · Score: 1

Or maybe it's Cisco, so likely their email security is crap in the first place.

--
Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
Re:Really a company-wide email? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 14:42 · Score: 0

I had that same thought. That is exactly what I would have done.
Hello, Bruce. How's Karen?
Re:Really a company-wide email? by dch24 · 2012-11-08 16:56 · Score: 2

You say that like it's funny, but their Bay Area office had an explicit "no Linux installs allowed" policy. Maybe they've changed that now (I got sick of it and left), but developing iOS was a nightmare.

And you wonder why the commands are so brutal...it's nearly impossible to write them.

Who does this asshole think he is? by erp_consultant · 2012-11-08 11:01 · Score: 5, Insightful

Typical corporate jackass. Trying to throw around his (considerable) weight with veiled threats. Yeah, donut boy, I'm sure the memo leaker is just quivering in his boots right about now. If you were a Cisco employee what would you be thinking right about now? I know what I'd be thinking. I'd be thinking I'm not going to work for an idiot like that. Maybe donut boy still thinks he's in the CIA. Maybe he gets off on stupid little power trips. Maybe his wife treats him like shit and the only way he can get back is to take it out on the people he works with. Maybe he's just a fucking loser.

Re:Who does this asshole think he is? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:17 · Score: 0

Maybe you're correct about all of your suggestions. Plus, he hates himself because he's fat so he lashes out at people.
Re:Who does this asshole think he is? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 13:00 · Score: 1, Insightful

Mike Quinn is perhaps one of the best customer focused executives at Cisco. Not only is he well known and well cared for by hundreds ( if not thousands) of customers that have crossed his paths over the years, but Mike is also very well cared for by the legion of "old culture" Cisco people still in the company. He has some of the brightest people reporting to him and works insane hours even while his health is very poor.
So you all know, he was injured during the Beirut marine barack bombing attacks (many years back) and has had bad health issues all his life ( even recently when he organ transplant from family members ). The medicines that keep him alive have caused him to gain much weight that he has had to work really hard to keep in check.
While I can see why all people feel about reading that email, the reality is that the person that originally leaked this, took a internal private email to employees that where asking what the issue was with the Univerisity of California deal and verbatim passed it externally. Something that is against business conduct and against the values of the company.
If the person disliked Cisco this much, then probably should pack the bags and find employment at another location. Not use internal communications as some sort of vindictive way to get back to "who knows who". Mike is very passionate about Cisco and it's people. He has worked for over 20 years building the company and it's support organization. For those that have worked under him, they only know a person that has high integrity standards and expect the best of everyone that reports to him and even people outside of his realm of control. When he see's people that are acting this way, he takes that same passion and targets it to get rid of the person that seems to hate employment at Cisco so much. Simple as that.
I know this post is probably going to trigger an avalanche of hate. But this is slashdot and reality is elusive at best. If you had the chance to report under Mike, I think most of you would be sincerly impressed with the person that would listen to your opinion, discuss and find merit in what you are saying and more. When I had the small chance to report under him once, and my son was born premature he was the first person from Cisco to call me directly and talk to me. And I was many layers below him.
Re:Who does this asshole think he is? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 14:18 · Score: 0

ROFLMAO raised to the power of LOL
Re:Who does this asshole think he is? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 15:42 · Score: 0

As one AC to another, FU your boss is obviously a dick, and your company is composed of dicks and dicks who are better at thieving than your dick boss, whose ass you lick so sweetly even when posting as an AC. (Though your dick boss can find out who you are from packet filtering, so good move, leaker!) Who in their right mind would buy cisco if they had any choice. What a crappy evil company. They still have anybody with a shred of ethics working in the broom closet?
Re:Who does this asshole think he is? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 16:08 · Score: 0

Poe's law, anyone? I sincerely cannot tell if that was a troll post. If it was a troll, well done OP. If not, I am unable to believe why anyone would want to work under someone that has written the above mail. May god take mercy on your soul.
Re:Who does this asshole think he is? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 17:13 · Score: 0

Nice try, Mike.
Re:Who does this asshole think he is? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 23:23 · Score: 0

So I have to ask:
You mention that Quinn was injured in the attack on the USMC compound in Beirut.
Did he tell you this himself? Did he ever tell you if he was awarded the Purple Heart due to his injuries?
Are you a Veteran of Military or any other government service?
Not attacking you, just curios about your sources and your background.
I find it interesting that on his Linkedin profile he does not list USMC service (I do not know a single former Marine on Linkedin that doesn't have the dates of his service in the USMC listed, and I know a lot of former Marines who are on Linkedin), but he is listed as serving in the USMC here:
http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac49/ac55/council/council_MikeQuinn.html
Re:Who does this asshole think he is? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 03:56 · Score: 0

*SLOW CLAP*
Re:Who does this asshole think he is? by Provocateur · 2012-11-09 13:11 · Score: 1

Maybe he gets off on stupid little power trips. Maybe his wife treats him like shit and the only way he can get back is to take it out on the people he works with. Maybe he's just a fucking loser.
Maybe, just maybe, that's his cover. That he appears incapable of action...was the last thought of the suspect as the so-called 'corporate jackass' rappelled down from the roof and smashed through the window.

--
WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
Re:Who does this asshole think he is? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-11 17:57 · Score: 0

Wow. Quinn pay you much for this? Or do you plan to send him a copy, along with a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine?
And how on earth did you manage such a well worded post with your head so far up his ass?

If you had the chance to report under Mike, I think most of you would be sincerly impressed
Report under Mike? That does not mean what you think it does. Not in the civilian world.
And people who feel so insecure they that they need to make threats, rarely elicit more than contempt from me. Or any rational being for that matter.
Making threats is pathetic. I really try to avoid it at all costs because it makes you appear either crazy, impotent, or stupid.
A reminder of the the rules of the contract of employment, and the consequences of their violation is enough public posturing in this situation.
Those who don't need to make threats, make consequences instead.
And that is what he should be doing, rather than making threats.
Lastly, I'm confused about the leak-worthiness of the original memo. It basically said, "Deny, deny, deny", pretty basic strategy from "A Rich Persons Guide to Scandal Wrangling", definitely not page one news. Memo #2 though, that's headline fodder! "Grumpy exec needs nap!"

LOL by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:02 · Score: 0

That fat sack of crap couldn't find his dick with both hands, let alone whoever leaked his dirty laundry.

Loyalty is not a one-way street by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:03 · Score: 4, Insightful

And perhaps some day companies will learn that. http://www.inquisitr.com/283632/cisco-firing-1300-employees-2-of-global-workforce/

Re:Loyalty is not a one-way street by c0lo · 2012-11-08 14:56 · Score: 2

And perhaps some day companies will learn that. http://www.inquisitr.com/283632/cisco-firing-1300-employees-2-of-global-workforce/
But, but... Cisco demonstrated again and again its loyalty to the employees. Want a citation? Here's one:

I want you to remember that Cisco puts the groceries on your table every two weeks, ...
What more a human being would want? (stop that subversive BS, will yea?)
</sarcasm>

--
Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.

Laughable by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:03 · Score: 0

The only thing that fat stupid prick looks like he can find is a fucking truckload of donuts. Fuck you fat fuck. You have no fucking balls and you're stupid. Come find me. See what happens you walking set of dude titties.

Am I the only one? by gatfirls · 2012-11-08 11:04 · Score: 1

Who heard that email in Cheetos crunching comic book guy voice?

Re:Am I the only one? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:10 · Score: 0

Worst. VP. Ever.
Re:Am I the only one? by greg1104 · 2012-11-08 11:31 · Score: 1

I was picturing him behind the keyboard.
Re:Am I the only one? by ne0n · 2012-11-08 12:04 · Score: 1

I found a picture from his younger days. Definitely visited a comic book once or twice from the looks of him.

--
$ :(){ :|:& };:

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:09 · Score: 0

He's an ex-CIA guy, wow. So, he's really good at smuggling cocaine? And selling weapons to dictators?

that constitutes harassment and threatening behavi by swschrad · 2012-11-08 11:11 · Score: 3, Interesting

both of which are generally seen as dangerous behavior by HR types, and policy manuals generally, like those in my outfit, add that such actions are subject to discipline up to and including termination.

make it your hobby, pinhead, to discover which dictionary definition of "termination" you are going to be facing.

--
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?

Threatening and intimidating by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:13 · Score: 0

Sounds like threatening and intimidating behavior to me. I don't think we can allow this sort of pathological corporate behavior go unchecked. And former CIA? All the more reason to be concerned.

About that "family trust" by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:14 · Score: 1

Is that the same "family trust" that fires 10% of workers yearly?

Why does he care? by hawguy · 2012-11-08 11:15 · Score: 2

If this is the "leaked memo": http://www.bradreese.com/blog/11-1-2012.htm

well...it says nothing of any substance, and it looks generic enough that it was sent to the entire internal sales team, so there are hundreds if not thousands of people that could have "leaked it". But surely a Cisco VP knows that you can't send something to thousands of people and not expect it to be leaked.

Certainly doesn't seem like it's enough to make a VP get all worked up about.

I don't see anything in the memo that Cisco couldn't have published on their home page.

Re:Why does he care? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 14:19 · Score: 0

"I don't see anything in the memo that Cisco couldn't have published on their home page."
Neither do I. However, as a major CSCO shareholder I don't like the idea of having to pay a VP to make the company look bad when it's totally unnecessary. Whatever he thinks he is doing, it's not working.
Chambers. Either reign this guy in or fire him. CSCO has been trading very low over the past 5 years as it is. We hardly need this kind of distraction!

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by amiga3D · 2012-11-08 11:16 · Score: 2

I doubt he was that good at it. Probably he was a manager at the CIA which means he needs help to find his own ass. There are plenty of talented people in Government service but almost none of them ever make it to management.

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:17 · Score: 0

The head of Huawei use to be in the PLA... Is that more or less 'creepy'?

Re:that constitutes harassment and threatening beh by Velex · 2012-11-08 11:18 · Score: 2

Uh.. this guy's a VP. You know, the class of people for whom macho outbursts like this are encouraged.

--
Join the Slashcott! Stay away entirely Feb 10 thru Feb 17! Close all tabs to prevent autorefresh!

Bye Cisco! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:18 · Score: 0

Bye then, Cisco.

intestinal fortitude by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:20 · Score: 0

"should now have the intestinal fortitude to stand up and admit that they did this, then resign."

If by "intestinal fortitude" you mean "guts", nice try. You underestimate the intelligence of your employees. Just admit you're too cheap to pay redundancy. If this employee is going down legally, it will be with unemployment benefit, i.e. you'll have to fire rather than hope for self-incrimination.

Posted as AC for obvious reasons: Entertainment value!

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by girlintraining · 2012-11-08 11:27 · Score: 0

Kind of creepy to hear of "ex" CIA officers in top Cisco positions... advertising this must do wonders for foreign (and domestic) sales...

A lot of people get out of the military and then get regular jobs. Kind of creepy to hear of "ex" soldiers in top corporate positions... (dramatic pause) The fact that the guy is an ex-CIA officer doesn't mean anything on its own. Everyone has a past. Now if black helicopters are found over the homes of thousands of cisco employees and they report that a creepy guy stands in a dark corner of the copy machine wearing a mask chanting "Sing, my angel of muuusic!" then grapple-hooks his way into the ceiling laughing maniacally, and there's a bookshelf in the corporate boardroom that leads to a clandestine laboratory filled with guys known only as a single letter then maybe you've got a story.

--
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie

fine, I admit it... by amoeba1911 · 2012-11-08 11:27 · Score: 3, Funny

it was me.

Re:fine, I admit it... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 15:40 · Score: 0

NO! I leaked it.
-- Spartacus
Re:fine, I admit it... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 04:20 · Score: 0

No, *I* am Brian!!!
Re:fine, I admit it... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-11 18:05 · Score: 0

Yeah, it was definitely you. I saw it happen!

Company picture by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:28 · Score: 1

Oh Lordey....I just looked at TFA and saw the pic of the VP. Countdown to his pic being this weeks most popular Meme in 3..2..1

Re:Company picture by GameboyRMH · 2012-11-09 08:27 · Score: 1

Well we need something new since Backtrace Dad died

--
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by Nidi62 · 2012-11-08 11:30 · Score: 2

The head of Huawei use to be in the PLA...

The head of pretty much every major Chinese company was either in the PLA, still in the PLA, or related to a general in the PLA.

--
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-11-08 11:32 · Score: 5, Insightful

Given that wacky incident where Cisco instigated the arrest (in Canada) of a former executive who had the temerity to testify against them in an antitrust case, I'd bet that they have some nontrivial pull, and certainly don't seem to be afraid of using it.

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-11-08 11:34 · Score: 1

Kind of creepy to hear of "ex" CIA officers in top Cisco positions... advertising this must do wonders for foreign (and domestic) sales...

And ah... continually beating wardrums about an issue which only *reminds* customers of cost issues with Cisco products and services is no winning proposition for Cisco either.

Don't worry. It's only those chinamen at Huwei who have sinister links to clandestine entities. You can Pay More with Confidence(tm) with your friends at Cisco!

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-11-08 11:35 · Score: 1

He's an ex-CIA guy, wow. So, he's really good at smuggling cocaine? And selling weapons to dictators?

Honestly, if I were ex-CIA, I'd try to be a little less hubristic about my ability to deal with former allies who are now being unfriendly... Have they ever had luck in that department?

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by Maxo-Texas · 2012-11-08 11:36 · Score: 1

yea.. kinda would make me leery of using cisco products.

--
She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.

Bradley Manning's cousin ... by Alain+Williams · 2012-11-08 11:44 · Score: 1

they both exposed wrong doing in their organisation.

Hobby Guy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:48 · Score: 1

Ok, here is my crappy attempt.

http://www.mememaker.net/meme/you-leak-i-plug/

Cisco to world by future+assassin · 2012-11-08 11:49 · Score: 2

we are ran by CIA operatives.

--
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*

Re:Cisco to world by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:55 · Score: 0

Yes we are run by CIA, and cide operatives.
_______________________________________
Servicios de diseño

Family? Cisco? EABOD. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 11:49 · Score: 0, Insightful

They are a publicly traded corporation there is no "family" and headcount will be chopped (as in the past) whenever management thinks it will benefit the stock price.

The French lesson by dbIII · 2012-11-08 11:51 · Score: 5, Insightful

When the torturers come home, feeling bigger than God after torturing Priests, Doctors and other authority figures, they may decide they are the correct people to run the place and put their other military or paramilitary skills to use to remove whoever they see as in their way. The French had that problem with people from their equivalent of the CIA that came back from Algeria and it culminated with an assassination attempt on the French President.
That is of course the extreme, but the "bigger than God" attitude can come through to a lesser extent to even those remote from extreme extralegal actions, which is why we get this idiot at Cisco pretending to be a gangster.

Re:The French lesson by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 13:33 · Score: 0

That is of course the extreme, but the "bigger than God" attitude can come through to a lesser extent to even those remote from extreme extralegal actions, which is why we get this idiot at Cisco pretending to be a gangster.
Well, his photo reveals that he's definitely fatter than God.

Unless Buddha is God, of course *grin*
Re:The French lesson by DirtyLiar · 2012-11-11 16:45 · Score: 1

this idiot at Cisco pretending to be a gangster.
*Ahem*...
GangSTA.

--
THINK! It's patriotic

He should work for HP by mschaffer · 2012-11-08 11:55 · Score: 1

He would be very busy with his hobby.

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by TsuruchiBrian · 2012-11-08 12:10 · Score: 1

He isn't that good at it, he's just doing it as a hobby.

What part of the CIA did he work for... by strangeattraction · 2012-11-08 12:13 · Score: 2

A short list of his hobbies are: Water-boarding, fingernail pulling, testicular electrical shock, sodium pentathol injections, sleep depravation,

Re:What part of the CIA did he work for... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 12:56 · Score: 0

Did he work for the CIA, or was he worked on by the CIA?
Re:What part of the CIA did he work for... by tgd · 2012-11-09 01:20 · Score: 1

A short list of his hobbies are: Water-boarding, fingernail pulling, testicular electrical shock, sodium pentathol injections, sleep depravation,
Sounds like my last girlfriend ...
Damn, I miss her.
Re:What part of the CIA did he work for... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-13 10:59 · Score: 0

How do you deprave sleep?

A hobby of finding leakers? by briancox2 · 2012-11-08 12:28 · Score: 1

Wouldn't it be more becoming of a Vice President to have a hobby of addressing ethical concerns of how their company handles bidding processes than obsessing over someone who blew a whistle?

--
We should learn what we need to know about issues, before we decide what we need to feel about them.

Re:that constitutes harassment and threatening beh by 54mc · 2012-11-08 12:29 · Score: 4, Insightful

I want to preface by saying that I absolutely agree that this is harassment and threatening behaviour.

However, I can say with certaintly that HR does not care one single bit. HR really couldn't care either way on most issues. They do their job. That job is to protect the company and its higher ups.

If a low level employee sent this, then yes, absolutely, they'd be terminated.

Now, when a low level employee brings these concerns to HR, they'll be informed that it is not in fact threatening, but rather a reminder of company policies regardling leaks and an assurance from the VP that he personally takes those policies very seriously. Then she'll offer some candy from the bowl on her desk and ask you if you've remembered to signup for this weekend's company picnic.

--
Joy! Beautiful spark of the gods!

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by WaffleMonster · 2012-11-08 12:34 · Score: 1

A lot of people get out of the military and then get regular jobs. Kind of creepy to hear of "ex" soldiers in top corporate positions... (dramatic pause) The fact that the guy is an ex-CIA officer doesn't mean anything on its own.

I agree with you but it almost does not even matter.

Its what other people think that recommend solutions and write the checks who count...I only mentioned this because the same characterizations were lobbed during Huawei witchunts.

meme by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 12:37 · Score: 0

http://www.mememaker.net/meme/you-leak-i-plug/

IT WAS ME! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 12:45 · Score: 0

Good luck finding me ya dumb fuck!

trolololol!

AH YEAH!!!! :P :P :P :P :P :P

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 12:46 · Score: 0

Someone that high can do a lot of things:

1: Ensure that the person can no longer work in the industry.

Oh, please, stfu you hyperbolic muppet.

Re:that constitutes harassment and threatening beh by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 12:50 · Score: 0

You have a company that still offers picnics? You have an HR person that is actually available to you locally that you can walk up and talk to? Where do you work and are you hiring?

He just painted his target.. by JohnnyOpcode · 2012-11-08 12:56 · Score: 0

I'll bet your left nut that each email had a unique hash at the very bottom of his signature. And off course the font colour was white!

It's what I would do to pinpoint a 'leaker'.

Luv Johnny

p.s. I'm available for 'Wet-Work' wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by MadMaverick9 · 2012-11-08 13:12 · Score: 1

"A Cisco vice president, who happens to have been a CIA operations officer in the 1980s

And now try explaining to me again please: why should we trust cisco, but not huawei?

As Martin Castillo once said: You never get out of the Company.

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 13:13 · Score: 1

It is easily done. I work at a fairly large company, and when hiring, we check names and personal info against a database. Part of that database is a list of those who have divulged secrets, left time bombs as "presents" if fired, attempted employee theft/hacking, or dug into info and tried to sell it.

If someone is on that list, they don't get hired, period.

To boot, same industry, we check NCIC arrest records. Not conviction (because people can buy their way out or have those sealed), but arrest records. If they have seen the inside of a police car with handcuffs on, they are not seeing anything but the door of most banks and larger businesses.

I am sorry, but this is a fact of life in the IT industry in companies past the SMB stage.

The threshold for arrest in the US is pretty low. A corporate officer presenting evidence to a DA, even if it is something written in eyeliner on a paper plate, will generate an arrest warrant (which is a career death sentence for any IT job past the level 1 tech support guy.) No DA will say they don't have a case because next election term, that DA will be replaced by one whom will open a file. Think the DA in Orlando would ignore a complaint from Disney? Not if they value their job.

If Apple can generate a police raid, Cisco can easily do the same on a leaker.

The Cisco guy doesn't even need to put the offender on the blacklist. All he has to do is get the DA to have the person hauled in for questioning as an official arrest. Just the NCIC entry is a guarantee of an employment-free life in anything more sophisticated than burger flipping.

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by abirdman · 2012-11-08 13:30 · Score: 1

They'd have an extremely hard time pressing felony(!) charges. This is a fat-fuck bureaucrat, management lardo with an ego problem, who happened to get pwned, hard! The CIA is full of these guys-- think DMV only the clerks are given Glocks with silencers, and don't have to talk with anyone-- they're sitting around waiting for their pension, maybe an interview on the Today Show. Certain IT companies (especially security-related) love to hire these guys, who sit around thinking up threat scenarios, trying to figure out what a router does, and when they get too boring, they're sent out to trade shows in their bad suits and funny ways of talking.

The employment future of the leaker is not in the hands of this idiot. The HR department is legally obligated to confirm the employment period, and is legally enjoined from telling anything else, not matter what the employee's status at the time of their leaving. Cisco got caught and exposed doing what they do-- screwing over (in this case) the CA education system for millions of dollars. They do the same in many industries, public and private. It sucks to be caught at that, but it happens all the time. And this beefcake with the polyester dress pants will survive his job too, if he just shuts up.

--
Everything I've ever learned the hard way was based on a statistically invalid sample.

In turn, this slashdot posting was also leaked ... by porky_pig_jr · 2012-11-08 13:59 · Score: 1

and posted on Internet.

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 14:02 · Score: 0

To boot, same industry, we check NCIC arrest records. Not conviction (because people can buy their way out or have those sealed), but arrest records. If they have seen the inside of a police car with handcuffs on, they are not seeing anything but the door of most banks and larger businesses.

I am sorry, but this is a fact of life in the IT industry in companies past the SMB stage

You are a freaking douchebag on steroids, bitch! Given the overzealous police officers arresting everyone even when charges are either not filed or dropped your attitude is as ass-hatted as the ex-CIA operative in the VP position at Cisco. You're both stupid and should be neutered and subsequently dumped in the Nevada desert. Little wonder employees in the USofA go postal.

Well... by denzacar · 2012-11-08 14:15 · Score: 1

Unfortunately that was done by upping the BMI with jelly donuts. ;)

That would explain why he looks like a R.O.U.S.

--
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens

Re:Well... by Bacon+Bits · 2012-11-08 15:07 · Score: 2

Unfortunately that was done by upping the BMI with jelly donuts. ;)
That would explain why he looks like a R.O.U.S.
Routers of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist....

--
The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
Re:Well... by denzacar · 2012-11-09 04:02 · Score: 1

They ARE unusual.

--
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by Alex+Belits · 2012-11-08 14:26 · Score: 2

I work at a fairly large company, and when hiring, we check names and personal info against a database.

No, you don't.

--
Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.

Don't tell them you're hunting them, toughguy by gelfling · 2012-11-08 15:22 · Score: 1

That's just stupid. Which gay Yale frat were you in to get hired by the CIA?

Knock Knock by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 15:29 · Score: 0

Knock Knock...
Who's there?
Donald Rumsfeld.
Donald Rumsfeld who?
DONALD RUMSFELD KICKING YOUR MEMO-LEAKING ASS, BIATCH!!

Hey, is this a known unknown or a unknown unknown?? ,High*Ping*Drifter.

"When in doubt, I whip it out!"

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by triffid_98 · 2012-11-08 15:35 · Score: 3, Informative

Just the NCIC entry is a guarantee of an employment-free life in anything more sophisticated than burger flipping.

Which is an excellent reason to branch out into far more lucrative industries such as meth production and armed robbery.

Look I understand that certain convictions, not arrests, but actual convictions, should preclude employment in some fields but we've established a bizzaro-world society where trivial crimes become felonies. Peeing in the bushes = registered sex offender for life. WTF

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by MikeBabcock · 2012-11-08 15:49 · Score: 1

I was thinking the same thing as I read all the "oh no big deal" responses to this situation from people.

Leaking internal data at a company with the connections Cisco has is a bad idea.

--
- Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)

Re:Cisco needs to keep their VPs on shorter leashe by able1234au · 2012-11-08 16:22 · Score: 1

How many American CEOs were in the military, related to someone in the military etc. Being in the PLA does not mean much. It is the ones NOT in the PLA you need to worry about.

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by sir-gold · 2012-11-08 16:39 · Score: 4, Insightful

So you have a secret blacklist, that is never verified, and never open for appeal? is that even legal?

As far as not hiring people who have been arrested, do you have any idea how easy it it to be arrested? one of my friends was put in handcuffs and thrown the the back of a police car, for nothing more serious than crossing the street when it said "don't walk"

If I knew your name and address, I could have you arrested right this minute. The arrest wouldn't stick, and I would be charged with filing a false report (if they caught me) but it would still show up as arrest for your on that precious blacklist, and you would be out of a job.

It gets worse by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 17:44 · Score: 0

Corporations doing backdoor deals where the customer gets the dirty end if the stick is nothing new. When an entire company rolls over in order to get business at the expense of their workforce, that's a new one on me. Case in point, Cisco changed their HMO in order to get the networking contract for that HMO. It cost more and offers less services to their employees.

This VP can make me his hobby all he wants.

Oh no! Not the CIA! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 18:03 · Score: 0

If the whole agency took 10 years to find a Bond villain in a cave, this guy is probably safe from some pathetic internet tough guy VP.

Hobbies list: by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 18:17 · Score: 0

1. Eating donuts
2. Eating cheetos
3. Eating other stuff
4. Reading in the bathroom

Trust? Fuck you. by nyet · 2012-11-08 18:32 · Score: 1

All you give a shit about is shareholder value. That is all you are paid to care about.

Huawei PR team, are you listening ? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 19:27 · Score: 0

Huawei PR team, are you listening ?

Time to do the best in your job.

The guy might have a legitimate concern by bytesex · 2012-11-08 20:26 · Score: 1

The reason the guy doesn't want the email to leak is because it deals with an ongoing tender. Which he lost, but if you know companies like that, they're not going to take it lying down.

--
Religion is what happens when nature strikes and groupthink goes wrong.

OK, let me get this right... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 20:58 · Score: 0

So we're worried that the Chinese might have installed backdoors into any of the network hardware they manufacture.
Meanwhile, the Cisco VP is actually an ex-CIA man.
Hmmm, sounds like a kettle and pot situation to me.

Cunning plan by wonkey_monkey · 2012-11-08 21:00 · Score: 1

I will now make (finding) you my hobby. Ask around (and) you will find out that I like to work on my hobbies.

Ah, I see this guy's plan. He waits until someone starts asking around, and that's the guy.

--
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 21:21 · Score: 0

So they're like the mob. Above the law..?

Overblown rep by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 22:22 · Score: 0

He wasn't an Operations Officer.

He wants the uninitiated to think he was labor (as opposed to management) and worked on the clandestine side of the house.

He didn't.

So he can talk 'tough' about 'personally tracking someone down', but the real series of events would be him calling in a favor with an actual former field guy.

Of course, that's not the picture he painted of himself when hobnobbing with Cisco senior management types, who had no way of knowing any better.

A former field guy wouldn't write a pathetic email. He'd just track him down, and turn him over to whomever was responsible for dealing with such a violation.

Deeds, not words. In general, guys and gals who work the clandestine side of things are all about getting the job done and finding a perverse (?) pleasure in knowing that 5 or 6 people in the world (including the 3 involved in the 'action') actually know what was done and by whom.

You will NEVER find me ! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-08 23:32 · Score: 0

You jackass :D .

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-11-09 00:38 · Score: 1

You saw how many references to 'the family' there were in the VP's internet tough guy email...

Ha ha you'll never find me. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 00:47 · Score: 0

I am Spartacus.

the new memo was bait by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 00:49 · Score: 0

Everyone received a slightly different memo.

The wording was intentionally crafted to taunt the source of the leak, knowing it too would be leaked, and in the end, also track him/her down.

Re:that constitutes harassment and threatening beh by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 00:57 · Score: 0

The candy contains potassium benzoate!

OT irony by gmuslera · 2012-11-09 01:21 · Score: 1

US was about to ban Hawei because they could had chinese government planted backdoors. Now (yes, im slow) a side note in an unrelated article say that Cisco VP was a CIA operations officer.

1980s CIA vs Social Media by zodwallopp · 2012-11-09 02:05 · Score: 1

Who will WIN, who will reign SUPREAM! /bites pepper

"The Spy Who Came In from the Cold" by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 02:12 · Score: 0

Maybe the VP is the leaker and this is just covering his tracks.

Last time I checked... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 02:27 · Score: 0

The CIA didnt advertise what they were doing. Now I know why he isn't in the CIA anymore.

So it's true... by Chelloveck · 2012-11-09 03:22 · Score: 2

So it's true. Bad-ass lines from action movies really do sound asinine in real life. I'm sure the guy who leaked the memo is just pissing himself with fear. Er, I mean laughter. Pissing himself with laughter.

--
Chelloveck
I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by Farmer+Pete · 2012-11-09 06:14 · Score: 1

Most/all large companies have some kind of internal database that will list people as unhireable. It's typically a mix of ex-employees and people who have had contact with the company (interviewes, applications, etc). Get canned from a small town rural paper route at age 14 because you put one too many papers in the bushes, get blacklisted from getting your dream job as a journalist at age 40 with the NYT who are now owned by the same parent company. It doesn't matter that you're now 26 years older, wiser, more responsible, and the jobs are completely different. Stuff like that happens all the time.

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by sir-gold · 2012-11-09 07:17 · Score: 1

And everyone wonders why there is so much unemployment, and so many unfilled job positions, at the same time. It seems like companies go out of their way to NOT hire people.

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by Farmer+Pete · 2012-11-09 08:38 · Score: 1

You're missing the point. The goal isn't to not hire people, it's to do everything in your power to hire the RIGHT people the first time. Hiring the wrong person can cost a company thousands upon thousands of dollars. If it takes you 2-3 months to figure out that someone isn't working out, you've just spent 10-30k in lost expenses on someone. It's like email spam filtering. Sure, you may filter out some legitimate email, but if you can save your users from wasting 15 minutes a day, losing an email every couple months can be excused.

Re:Assuming said leaker no longer works for Cisco. by sir-gold · 2012-11-09 09:26 · Score: 1

Spam filters don't generally filter out 80-90% of total incoming mail though. Most places interview something like 10% of total applicants.

While I agree that using a database is better than judging by resume alone, my main issue with all this is that the database is secret and not open for appeal. you could be falsely blacklisted (different person with same name for example) and never even know you were on the list, and even if you did find out, you couldn't do anything to be removed.

blowhard by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 09:37 · Score: 0

Just another corporate blowhard with a career on cruise control. He shows up every day and gets his token promotion every five years like so many middle-management goons at the big tech monoliths. Clearly is an amateur "Executive", at best, and completely oblivious to the social, always-connected world we live in where idiotic comments put in electronic writing are blasted to the twittersphere and beyond in about two minutes flat. I'm sure all the top young tech talent is just dying to go work for Cisco and deal with idiots like this.

Mike Quinn - 00700lbs of LARD by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 10:09 · Score: 0

Take a look at his corporate picture - he probably spent the majority of his time at the CIA playing Team Fortress or World of Warcraft, while he stuffed his face with bags of Doritos and Cheetos!

Hey Mike - I guess that's what you meant about Cisco putting groceries the table twice a week - or in your case...7 times a week.

Godfather by Anonymous Coward · 2012-11-09 16:52 · Score: 0

"I know it was you Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!"

Conflict of interest? by Intrinsic · 2012-11-09 18:33 · Score: 1

The most important story is the fact that there is an Ex-CIA guy at a company that deploys routers to pretty much all of the internet. Sounds kind of scary to me.

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Cisco VP To Memo Leaker: Finding You Now 'My Hobby'

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